Bill Parish has it all:
success, wealth and power. Days before his 65th birthday he receives a
visit from a mysterious stranger, Joe Black, who soon reveals himself as
Death. In exchange for extra time, Bill agrees to serve as Joe's earthly
guide. But will he regret his choice when Joe unexpectedly falls in love
with Bill's beautiful daughter Susan?

Commentary

It has been awhile since
I've seen this film and I must say, it is still a great film. The
balance of story is excellent, and despite its rather long run time, I
never get bored. Pitt and Hopkins play off each other brilliantly, and I
love the chemistry of the characters.

I know there are a lot of
comparisons to Death Takes A Holiday, as this is a bit of a
remake, and I think this film does the latter proud.

Technical

A pretty solid looking catalog release from Universal. The colors aren't
as striking as most of the more recent releases, but they look like most
films of this age. You can't help but think that a little bit of noise
reduction was applied as the image has a slightly enhanced look to it
with slight motion blur at times. Detail is consistently good
throughout, even in longer shots. Contrast suffers just a bit, making
depth a little uneven through the film.

The audio is presented in Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 and is far more dynamic
than you would expect from a film of this genre. At times, the low end
creates a spectacular ominous feel. Dialogue is clean and balanced well
with the rest of the soundtrack, with no signs of strain. The surround
sound environment is used nicely to convey ambience, and there are a few
discrete sounds to catch you off guard.

Extras

Extras are a bit weak
here. You get a production feature, a photo montage and the trailer.

When a mysterious virus
turns people into mindless, flesh-eating zombies, a handful of survivors
wage a desperate, last-stand battle to stay alive . . . and human!

Commentary

This is probably one of the best
horror remakes of all time, in my opinion. Snyder took a very popular
horror film with a large cult following, and put just enough modern day
budget and terror to really hit the nail on the head, but not tread on
the classic.

Technical

Like most modern day horror films,
this one is quite stylized. The colors are pushed a bit, and contrast is
exceptional. Detail in close-ups is almost too sharp given the content
(makes you appreciate the make-up effects), but longer shots can be a tad
on the soft side. The CGI effects are also a bit softer than the live
action, which can be distracting at times.

Universal is starting to support
Dolby TrueHD for most of its catalog now, and I'm glad to see them move
toward lossless support. Not that their previous soundtracks were
lacking anything though. This one is aggressive with some very cool use
of the surrounds and main soundstage. Bass is very deep and could be
system threatening, depending on what your system is capable of. Imaging
is solid throughout, and dialogue balance is good with the rest of the
track. If I had to complain about something, I would say the bass is a
bit loose at times, but I doubt many would complain.

Extras

Extras include all of the
features found on the special edition DVD. This includes lost footage,
some cool themed featurettes, deleted scenes, production features, a
feature commentary, and an introduction to the film by the director.

Tim Allen, John Travolta,
Martin Lawrence, and William H. Macy star in Wild Hogs, the
hysterically funny comedy about four weekend-warrior friends who decide
to rev up their ho-hum suburban lives with a cross-country motorcycle
adventure. They don their leathers, fire up their hogs and throw caution
and their cell phones to the wind as they hit the open highway. A lot
can happen on the road to nowhere, including a run-in with the
bad-to-the-bone Del Fuegos, a real biker gang who don't take kindly to
the wannabes.

Commentary

I can honestly say I wasn't very
hyped about watching this film. The trailers did nothing for me, and they
made me think I would hate the comedy. After watching it, I can say that it
was far better than I expected, but still short of the level of comedy I
prefer.

This is a film that is advertised as a family comedy, but I
think it is geared far more toward the 40 and up crowd who can relate to
the mid-life crisis themes. While there are definitely some good laughs,
I would recommend a rental on this one.

Technical

A solid HD presentation here. Detail
is solid throughout most of the film, with only some hints of softness in
longer shots. Contrast is excellent and helps a lot with the depth of
image and dimensionality of the picture. Colors are a bit bolder than
normal, but this helps with the crisp look of the film.

The full resolution uncompressed PCM
soundtrack is fun and aggressive. Home Theater fans will probably love
the kick of the Harleys in both the main soundstage and the low end, and
you'll swear there is a real one in your room if you turn it up loud
enough. The score evens things out and is fun enough to keep the volume
up even when the bikes are off. Balance is excellent from front to back,
and the dialogue is always clear.

Extras

Extras include outtakes,
deleted scenes, an alternate ending, some comedy film themed
supplements, a production feature, and a feature commentary.

This is a story between a mole in
the police department and an undercover cop. Their objectives are the
same: to find out who is the mole, and who is the cop.

Commentary

This is the film that inspired the
American hit film The Departed, that won quite a few awards in
its native country and spawned two sequels. I've been a fan of this film
for years (and its sequels) and was excited to see it gain more
notoriety here in the states after the release of The Departed.
This film is slightly different than the US version, a bit more
streamlined, but still has plenty of suspense and action. I can only hope
we'll see a US release in HD along with the sequels.

Technical

I don't think I've ever seen this
movie look "great", but this is the best I've seen it yet. The film
style is a bit washed out at times, which hurts contrast and depth.
Detail is decent enough, but the image isn't as crisp as most of the
stuff we're seeing on HD these days. The biggest gripe I have is whites,
which are clipped in most of the scenes of the film, and I hate
overdriven whites. Film grain is apparent throughout most of the film,
and the print used for the master isn't the most pristine out there.
There is definitely room for improvement, but again, it's the best I've
seen it look yet.

The soundtrack for this film has been
used in quite a few demos I've attended over the years. There are some
great dynamics, and the use of the surround soundstage is excellent. But
I've never been a fan of the dialogue. It always sounds like it was done
all in post production with the level and balance not nearly as
convincing as most American cinema. It always sounds too forward, and
too loud. The rest of the soundtrack is compelling though with some
impressive low bass and plenty of atmosphere. Take note that there is no
English dub for this film, but English subtitles are provided.

Extras

Extras include a feature
commentary, the teaser and theatrical trailers, a production feature, and
some movie themed supplements.

Life is good for Van: he's
got a coed in every closet and a party to go to every night. His slick
reputation even catches the eye of sexy Gwen Pearson, an on-campus
reporter determined to expose the naked truth behind his wild exterior.
When Gwen enters his life and his father stops paying for his tuition,
could Van's days as the king of Coolidge College be over?

Commentary

This is a bit of a guilty pleasure
for me. The comedy definitely hits the funny bone more often than it
should and the level of over the top crudeness is hard to beat. I think
the only thing that turns me off about the film is Tara Reid, who hasn't
turned in a good performance in her career yet, IMHO.

Technical

Ouch, this is a pretty sad transfer
from Lionsgate. While they've delivered some really solid transfers to
Blu-ray (Crank, Saw films) this one looks like an up-scaled
DVD, and almost a poor one at that. The image has a veil over it that
robs it of pop and fine detail. Edge enhancement is also intrusive. I
can't tell if the image has been heavily filtered or not, but something
is definitely amiss. Fans of the film would probably do well to just
stick with the DVD and a good up-scaling DVD player.

The 7.1 uncompressed soundtrack fares
better than the video presentation, but is still a bit short of a solid
reference presentation. I don't understand Lionsgate's model of using
7.1 mixes for films that were 5.1 to begin with. Most systems out there
don't support a native 7.1 soundtrack and most systems do a very
adequate job of converting 5.1 to 7.1 convincingly.

The mix
here is dynamic enough, but most of the thrills are from the film's
score and musical selection. Dialogue is tinny at times, but overall the
balance is decent with the rest of the soundtrack. Surrounds are used
more often than usual for a film in this genre, but at times the effect
is hokey.

Extras

Plenty of extras here.
Lionsgate included their standard pop up bar for interaction during the
film, there are lots of college themed featurettes to add to the humor
of the package, a music video, outtakes, deleted scenes, interviews,
trivia, and a Comedy Central feature on the film.

Anna Scott is the world's
most famous movie star. Her picture has been plastered on the cover of
every magazine, and every time she makes a move, the entire world knows
about it. William Thacker owns a travel bookstore in the quaint
neighborhood of Notting Hill. His business is stagnant, he has the
roommate from hell, and his love life is completely nonexistent. Then one
day, their paths cross and the couple comes to face the ultimate
question: can two people fall in love with the whole world watching?

Commentary

I am a huge fan of the romantic
comedies in the Working Title production library. I hope to see
Universal release more of them over the next year. Notting Hill
is a very charming romantic film that does a great job of balancing the
characters, humor, and romance perfectly. The premise of the film is far
more interesting than I thought it would be when I saw it years ago and
the replay value for fans of the genre is excellent. A welcome addition
to any library.

Technical

I owned this one on the short lived
D-Theater format, and this transfer seems to be from the same master.
There is a slight increase in detail, but that might be a side effect
from having a higher resolution display now. Detail overall is good,
though not quite as sharp as some of the newer films out there. I like
the balanced look though. No oversaturated colors or overstated
contrast, just natural photography. While not demo material, Universal
has done a solid job with this transfer.

The 5.1 soundtrack is presented in
Dolby TrueHD and continues the trend of support from Universal. This is
not an aggressive soundtrack, but it does very well with songs that were picked perfectly for the mood of the film. The
lossless track delivers them nicely and is a step up from the DVD
and D-Theater versions I've had before. The atmosphere is a bit more
open, and I thought the dialogue sounded a bit more natural.

Extras

Most the extras from the
DVD release are included. You'll find a feature commentary, some music
videos, a look at the real Notting Hill, interviews, deleted scenes, and
trailers.

Kat Ellis is determined to
attend her younger sister's wedding with a date. Rather than face the
ridicule of her family and in order to show up her ex-fiancé, she
resorts to the Yellow Pages to find a last-minute escort, Nick. His
dashing good looks and quick-witted charm may win over her family. But
will they win over Kat?

Commentary

I'm a big fan of this genre, and I
actually think it is avoided a bit too much on these new formats. I
hadn't seen the film before this review, and overall I thought it was
good, but not a home run. The love affair of the two characters didn't
make sense to me given their pasts and professionals and came off as
forced for the good of the film. The acting was good though, and there is
enough humor to make the film enjoyable, but I don't know
how much I would revisit it in the library of romantic comedies out there.

Technical

This transfer is just a hair better
than a good up-converted DVD presentation. Edge enhancement is quite bad,
and ringing is noticed in almost every scene of the movie. The only
thing separating it from an up-converted DVD is the lack of mosquito
noise and blocking. Close-ups look pretty good, but as soon as you hit a
medium shot, detail plummets quickly. The image has the look of noise
reduction application with faces looking a tad pasty. Definitely one of
the weaker-looking catalog titles from Universal.

The soundtrack fares better than the
picture, but not by a long margin. Sound design is typical of a film of
this genre, but I didn't care much for the score. I did really like the
songs they picked for the film though, and they were definitely the
highlight of the presentation. Dialogue was balanced well enough, but at
times the ADR (Automatic Dialogue Replacement - where they dub in some
dialogue to replace the original one that may have not been recorded
well, or had too much background noise) was pretty bad (watch the scene in the airport line toward
the beginning of the film to see what I mean).

Bitter figure skating
rivals Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy brawl after tying for
the gold medal at the world championships. Banned for life from men's
competition, these archrivals beat the system thanks to a loophole that
allows them skate again - in pairs competition!

Commentary

I had a strong feeling going into
this film that I wouldn't be a fan. I am not big on Ferrell's brand of
comedy (though I did love Stranger than Fiction) and Heder hasn't
done anything particularly good since Napoleon Dynamite. The
comedy is a bit too over the top for me, and they borrowed a lot from
comedies of the past. There are some good laughs here and there, but not
nearly enough of them to warrant a purchase. I would stick with a rental
on this one.

Technical

The HD transfer here is quite good,
as one would expect from such a new film, but not without its issues.
There are a few scenes when the image quality seems to take a big step
down, especially in detail. The image becomes far softer than it should
be and almost looks like someone screwed up when they were doing the
master or encode.

Most of the time, the image has plenty of detail, and
perhaps even too much. I say this because the CG addition of the actors' faces on
the skaters is almost too obvious with the clarity of the HD transfer,
which becomes distracting.

When this was originally announced by
Dreamworks, they had mentioned support for an uncompressed 5.1 mix for
the Blu-ray release. Since they are no longer supporting Blu-ray, we are
left with the DD+ mix on the HD DVD release.

It is too bad they didn't
opt for a Dolby TrueHD soundtrack. I hope they start supporting the
lossless soundtracks soon, with some of the higher profile titles they
have coming out. This is a fun soundtrack that does make full use of the
surround soundstage, especially during the ice skating competitions. The
ambience and sense of space is realistic enough, and the dynamic range is
actually quite good. Dialogue is balanced well for the most part, though
some times I thought it was panned back too far into the room.

Extras

Extras are almost
completely in HD on this release. This includes some production
features, interviews, some comedy interviews, deleted scenes, gag reels,
a photo gallery, and a music video.

Bruce Springsteen With The
Sessions Band Live in Dublin features 23 songs drawn from the
band's performances in Dublin, Ireland at The Point on November 17, 18
and 19, 2006. Songs include fan favorites from The Seeger Sessions,
radical interpretations from the Springsteen songbook and rare songs
appearing for the first time on any Springsteen release. This Blu-ray
Disc captures the band during the finale of its multi-leg 2006 tour.

Springsteen's longtime manager Jon Landau said, "'Live in Dublin
charts the development of a band from an informal gathering in Bruce's
living room to an onstage powerhouse. It also documents the growth in
Bruce's vision of American music; it includes folk music, blues,
Dixieland, country, swing, gospel, rock, down to and including his own
writing. It's all performed with Bruce's classic energy and focus. I
think it's some of the finest music he's ever made."

Commentary

I'll admit I am not the biggest
Springsteen fan, but this concert was a lot different than anything I've
seen from him before. The music had an almost "showtune" quality to it
and the recording was excellent. Lots of showmanship and lots of fun.

Technical

Although this video is only a year old, I wasn't
that impressed with the quality of the release. It is a very dark
presentation, and detail and depth suffer from it. Detail is pretty good
in close-ups, but the lighting doesn't do the overall image any favors.
Colors are a bit muted, but at least there isn't any noise (something
I've seen with some other HD concert releases due to the harsh
lighting).

The audio is presented in both 5.1
uncompressed PCM and a stereo PCM mix. Wonderful would be one way to put
it. Plenty of dynamics and a very rich atmosphere. The recording is one
of the better ones I've heard lately for live performance, and all of the
musicians in the collection did an outstanding job.

Intent on seeing the
Cahulawassee River before it's turned into one huge lake, outdoor
fanatic Lewis Medlock takes his friends on a river-rafting trip they'll
never forget into the dangerous American back-country.

Canoeing down the river,
the four city men run into some unfriendly locals. The group is unable to escape from
the gorge in which the river runs, and the locals become more and more
of a threat . . . to the point they are running for their lives.

Commentary

This has always been a disturbing
movie. The film starts off with great character development and some
absolutely gorgeous photography, but once the detours start happening,
things get ugly. A classic in this sense, the film has been referred to
countless times now by newer films and general media. It's still as effective
today as it was years ago.

Technical

I honestly didn't know what to expect
from this one. This is an older film, but it was shot in some beautiful
country. Thankfully, the beauty is still pretty much intact. Detail is
exceptional in most circumstances, with only a few long shots looking a
bit soft. Colors are slightly washed out, but this is probably a styling
choice as I remember the other versions I've seen looking the same. The
master is in excellent condition, and I didn't really see much of any
noise, nicks, or compression.

The audio is delivered in 5.1 Dolby
Digital on both formats, and for its age, it holds up pretty well. You can
tell that some dubbing was done, but the atmosphere is still quite
convincing. Dynamic range isn't completely up to snuff with the newer
films out there, but it never left me wanting. Dialogue was a bit tinny
at times, and also a bit forward.

Extras

Extras include a collection
of interviews and look backs at the film's production and effect on the
film world. It also discusses the novel and recreating the intent of the
author on film. A feature commentary, production feature, and theatrical
trailer are also included.

In a small Western town,
Sheriff John Chance (Wayne) and his deputy Stumpy (Brennan), along with
a drunken pal Dude (Martin), arrest a member of a local ranch. The owner
of the ranch wants to get him out of jail, and Sheriff Chance isn't
about to let that happen.

Kid Colorado (Nelson) comes
into town on the side of the rancher, but decides that Chance is in the
right, so joins his team to hold off the rancher's gang when they arrive
to get their buddy out of jail.

In the meantime, Angie
Dickinson works in the local saloon, and even though she is a woman with
a past, she is after the Sheriff for other reasons, and aims to get him.

Commentary

Hawks made this film because he and
John Wayne didn't like High Noon, with its portrayal of a sheriff
who was afraid to face the bad guys all alone. They didn't think a
sheriff should ever show fear.

Although Rio Bravo is a
classic, High Noon is a vastly superior film, with its depiction
of what is basic human nature: fear of death. There has never been a
remake of High Noon, but Rio Bravo was remade several
times, as El Dorado (1967), and Rio Lobo (1970), all
starring Wayne. Wayne apparently asked if he could play the drunk this
time.

There are so many stars in this
movie, it is worth watching just to see them interact, even without the
violent climax to the story.

Technical

The picture is pristine for such an
old movie. Colors are good, not washed out, and everything appears
sharp. They must have transferred the film from the camera negative. The
sound is mono, but is adequate and easily intelligible.

Extras

Extras include a short film
about the locale for the movie, The Men Who Made the Movies: Howard
Hawks, and some John Wayne Westerns trailers.